The Pokemon Master's Life
by Bad Luck Novelist
Summary: Last part of the Trainer's Heart Series, sequil to In Anita's World. This is of the later years of Ash and May's life. Rating for violence and suggested themes.
1. Pokemon League

Ages: 18-Ash, 18-May, 18-Gary  
  
- 1 -  
  
Ash looked at each of his pokemon, all of them in line. He returned them to their separate poke balls. Pikachu stayed out.  
  
May stood behind him. Ash looked at her. "I still can't believe I'm in the league again." he said.  
  
"Well start believing it," May said. Ash looked depressed. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Well, I'm battling Gary and he's always beat me at everything I ever tried," Ash said, "and...I feel like he's just gonna beat me again."  
  
"Ash, he isn't going to beat you.he can't, there is no way possible for that to happen," May said, "And I'm his SITSTER, and saying this!" Ash frowned.  
  
"How?" he asked.  
  
"You have one thing that he doesn't: trust. You trust your pokemon to try their hardest and if they don't win, you still trust them. Thus, they actually TRY. Gary doesn't, so..." May said.  
  
"Pikapi, Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked. Ash looked at Pikachu. He nodded.  
  
"Good luck, Ash," May said, guessing at what pikachu had said.  
  
"Yeah," he said. Ash looked at the field. The stands were already getting filled, a few people wondering in at last minute.  
  
"Now what?" she asked.  
  
"I ain't going up there!" Ash said.  
  
"WHAT!? ARE YOU CRAZY!?" May yelled.  
  
"As I was saying before you started yelling at me, I'm not going up there without you. I'm not going to battle and no one can make me," Ash said.  
  
"Has your memory gone down the drain already? I can't be going on the field during a battle! They won't allow it!" May said.  
  
"They have to allow it. They can't have a battle without both the trainers," Ash said, grinning.  
  
"They can cancel the battle if you refuse," May said.  
  
"Not a chance of that." he said, "They said that no matter what this battle is not getting canceled."  
  
"But-" May started. Ash grabbed her wrist and ran across the field over to the trainer's box. The referee hurtled over.  
  
"You should know the rules of the league, Mr. Ketchum!" he barked. Ash looked at him.  
  
"I do know the rules and well." Ash said, "But the fact is that this battle ain't starting until she's with me."  
  
"She isn't allowed to be in a battle with you!" the referee hissed, "Unless there is a good reason for it!"  
  
"There is. We're.we're..." Ash frowned. What was he to say?  
  
"Engaged!" May said quickly. Ash looked at the referee. He was deep in thought.  
  
"If that is the matter, she should have an engagement ring then," the  
  
referee said. May bit her lip. Ash turned and looked at her.  
  
"Pikachu, distract him a minute," Ash said. Pikachu ran to the referee and did a dance.  
  
"What now?" May asked. Ash looked around.  
  
"Here." He said. Ash handed her a small box. "Please don't ask why."  
  
May opened it up and looked inside it. A diamond ring was inside. She looked at it.  
  
"Well?!" the referee said.  
  
"May, put that ring on." Ash hissed, "Hurry!"  
  
"Oh, ok, Ashy," she said. Ash turned bright red.  
  
"Stop embarrassing me!" he said. May giggled and hit him softly on the head. Ash looked at her. "You just love to torture me, don't you?"  
  
"Yep, I do love to torture you," she giggled. She slid the ring out of the box and put it on. May shut the box and put it in his pocket. At that, Ash turned an even brighter red.  
  
"You don't know when to quit embarrassing me, do you?" Ash asked. May shook her head. "Sorry, I don't," she said.  
  
"Come on, hurry up," the referee snapped impatiently. They looked at him.  
  
May showed him the ring. The referee grumbled. "Fine!" he yelled.  
  
He walked off to the side of the stadium field. May was about to take the ring off, when Ash put a hand over her's.  
  
May looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You're up to something, Ash."  
  
"Yep, but don't start getting huffy until you actually figure out what."  
  
"Like how?"  
  
"Like by taking a closer look at this box." Ash had taken it out again. May looked at it. A small tab was sticking out of the cushion.  
  
She pulled it out. The small black lettering on it said what kind of ring it was- engagement. "Ash, why did you get this?" she asked.  
  
He looked at May, smiling. The people that were already waiting for the battle were engrossed in conversation with each other, ignoring the two that were in the field.  
  
Pikachu hopped on May's head, scaring her half to death. "Pikaachuu."  
  
"Huh?" she asked.  
  
"Did he?" asked Pikachu.  
  
"Did he what?" May asked.  
  
"Did he ask you yet?" Pikachu said. Ash froze.  
  
"Ask what?" May asked, confused.  
  
"Ask you to m-" Pikachu squeaked. Ash put a hand over its mouth.  
  
"Shut up!" he hissed, glaring at the creature.  
  
"What was pikachu going to say?" May asked.  
  
"Er, nothing," he said.  
  
"Pikachu tried to say something, but you won't let it."  
  
"Pikachu isn't supposed to tell you."  
  
"You could've just said that, but I still want to know what it was going to say. You promised not to keep secrets from me."  
  
Ash looked at May, regretting the promise immediately. "Pikachu was going to.I wanted to ask." He heaved a deep sigh. "Never mind."  
  
"No, I will not 'never mind.'" she said. "What was pikachu going to say?"  
  
"Why? Why is it when I try my hardest to just say it, all my determination seems to fade faster then Ponyta can run?" Ash asked Pikachu.  
  
"Pikachu," it said in sympathy.  
  
"Would you mind me asking what you are talking about?" May asked.  
  
"." Ash didn't answer her. He turned and looked around. It was eerie how silent it was, the whispers of the crowd muted. "ASH!"  
  
"Hey over there!" someone yelled. Ash and May looked toward the person yelling. Gary had came into the stadium and was walking toward them. "You  
  
two going to be getting married or something?"  
  
Ash looked away from him and May. He tried as hard as possible to keep from crying.  
  
"What's up with him?" Gary whispered. May looked at Ash. The idea hit her.  
  
"Oh my! How could I have been so stupid!" May said. Gary looked at her.  
  
"Huh?" he asked.  
  
"Why would Ash have this engagement ring with him?" May asked. She gasped. It suddenly all fit together. What pikachu had been trying to say formed into a whole sentence. 'Ask you to m-' changed to 'Ask you to marry him?'  
  
"If you have figured it out, then go tell him!" Gary said. May looked at him.  
  
May hugged Ash tightly. He winced. "Ash, I-I'll marry you," she said.  
  
Ash looked at her. He had a very surprised look. "R-re-real- really?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," May said.  
  
"Um, I know this might not be the perfect time to interrupt, but shouldn't we start the battle?" Gary asked, knowing it was now straightened out.  
  
"Oh, um, alright," Ash said. Gary ran across the field to get to his trainer box. They climbed up into their separate ones. May hurried to get up next to him.  
  
The league had set up the audio system and was testing it to make sure it wouldn't go out. Ash wasn't surprised to just faintly hear the battle being announced in town.  
  
The battle started when the announcer said "Let the battle begin!"  
  
It was very exciting, and Gary got close to beating Ash at the end. He sent out pikachu as a final pokemon and beat Gary finally.  
  
Whoever was the announcer was screaming the results. "Ash," May said, "your pokemon master!"  
  
"Yeah, after all this time." Ash said, thinking about how fate seemed to be on his side, "Let's get out of here." 


	2. The Wedding

Ages: 18-Ash, 18-May, 18-Sakura, 18-Lee, 19-Misty, 20-Brock, 21-Luna  
  
- 2 -  
  
Ash stood in front of the minister with his bride, May. The maid of honor, Sakura, and the bride's maids, Misty and Erika, stood at May's other side. The best man, Lee, and the groom's men, Brock and Lt. Surge, stood at Ash's side.  
  
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." the minister droned on. Ash yawned in boredom, nearly falling asleep standing. May looked at him, smiling at the expression on his face. She put her arm through his, and trying to do it without anyone noticing, poked him in the ribs.  
  
Yelping, Ash glanced at May, giving her a startled expression. She smiled innocently, turning back to the minister, ignoring the glare she was getting from him.  
  
"Oh, huh, what?" Ash asked, an impatient voice rousing him up out of sleeping during the ceremony. The few kids in the pews giggled, while the adults scolded them, trying to hide their sniggers meanwhile.  
  
May shook her head, embarrassed that Ash actually managed to annoy the minister, who had no temper what so ever. She frowned at him. 'And I'm suppose to marry this man?' she thought, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Will you marry her or not?!" the minister snapped. Ash frowned slightly.  
  
"Yes?" he asked. The glare that the minister was giving him intensified. Ash cringed. "I do.I do! Stop glaring at me!"  
  
The tense silence that had filled the room broke, as everyone started laughing. May looked around, and smiled. Muttering, the minister continued the vows.  
  
"I do," May said, with more calm then Ash had. He glanced at her.  
  
With a sigh of relief, the minister finally said, angrily "Just kiss her, idiot!"  
  
Ash, looking around dejectedly, bit his lower lip. May frowned at him. He shrugged, and shook his head. Stretching to the point of pain, May tried to get to his height. "What's wrong?" she asked into his ear.  
  
"N-nothing," he mumbled. May knew they would be there for a decade if some one didn't finish, so she decidedly pressed her lips against his. Everyone who had been holding their breath, let it out in a great whoosh.  
  
After a few minutes, May and Ash sat with Sakura, Lee, Misty, and Brock in the ballroom. Misty looked over at the dance floor.  
  
"Why don't you go dance?" she asked. Ash and May looked at each other, then looked at the dance floor. They smiled.  
  
Ash stood up and helped May up. They walked out onto the dance floor. The crowd parted to let them through.  
  
The song that was playing was a slow one. They were close together.  
  
Ash, who had never really danced like that, was having a little trouble. He kept stepping on May's shoes, making her wince. Every time he did, he'd apologize to her.  
  
When the song stopped, they went back to the table. Ash sat down in his seat next to May. She looked around a little, then sat down.  
  
A blue-haired woman walked up. "May?" she asked.  
  
May turned around. "Luna?" May said.  
  
"How you doing?" Luna asked.  
  
"Good," May said.  
  
"It's unbelievable that you married the pokemon master here," Luna said, nodding at Ash.  
  
"Why is that?" May a sked.  
  
"I don't know, it just is." Luna said, "Most women would faint at just the thought of marrying the him!"  
  
"So? I didn't marry him because he became pokemon master. I couldn't  
  
care less what job Ash has!"  
  
Ash hugged May, holding her against himself. "Would you mind not talking about me like I'm not here?" he asked.  
  
"We'll stop," May said, running a hand along his arm, to hold his hand.  
  
"I think I'll go see Erika. Bye, May. Bye Ash," Luna said.  
  
"Bye Luna," May said. Smiling, Luna walked away to find Erika.  
  
They talked to some of the people at the wedding for the rest of the time. Sakura and Lee had to leave early, so they said good-bye and went.  
  
Ash and May walked up to a Silver 2001 Saturn L300 Performance Sedan. He unlocked it and opened the door. "I didn't know you had a car, Ash," May said.  
  
"I just got it last week," Ash said, "I also have a mansion that the league gave to me."  
  
May got into the car and Ash shut the door. Houndoom barked in the back seat. He walked around the front and got in the driver's side.  
  
Ash put the key in the ignition. The car roared to life. He turned the car out of the parking lot. 


	3. Pokemon Problems

Ages: 18-Ash, 18-May  
  
- 3 -  
  
Ash put his arm around May, one hand on the steering wheel. May noticed that they weren't in Pallet Town. "Uh, where are we going?" she asked.  
  
"To Cerulean City," Ash said.  
  
"Why?" May asked.  
  
"May, I told you yesterday about it." Ash said, "Don't tell me that you forgot."  
  
"I guess I did," May said. Ash shook his head. May looked through the window. They were driving by Viridian Forest.  
  
It was 10:00 p.m. by the time they were in Cerulean. Ash pulled into the parking lot of a huge building. He climbed out and went around the front of the car. May unlocked the door and was about to open it, when Ash did. She climbed out so he could lock it. Houndoom jumped out before the door was shut.  
  
May picked up Houndoom and followed Ash inside. He rapped his knuckles against the top of the counter, waiting. A man walked over from behind the  
  
counter. "Hello, may I help you?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, I made a reservation for a room for two for this week.but if you want, count it three with Houndoom." Ash said. The man looked through the computer.  
  
"What's you last name?" he asked.  
  
"Ketchum," Ash said.  
  
"Hmm, yes, right here." he said. The man grabbed a pair of keys from under the counter and tossed them to Ash.  
  
"Thanks," Ash said. He nodded. Ash turned to look at May. "Let's go."  
  
"Ok," May said. She looked at the chandelier, before going after Ash. He stood in the doorway leading down a hallway. Ash turned and walked to a door on the left side.  
  
May watched him slide the key in the lock and open the door. She looked inside the room. Ash walked past her, into it. She followed and shut the door.  
  
"This is nice!" May said. She put down Houndoom, who scampered over to the couch.  
  
May hugged Ash. He smiled. They stood there a minute before anyone said anything. "May, we're gonna be here for a week, 'K?" Ash said.  
  
"Ok," May said. She smiled. They went over to the couch and sat down. Houndoom jumped up onto the couch next to them.  
  
May slipped her high heels off and slid her feet up onto the couch. Ash slid down a bit. "Lie down May," he said.  
  
May lied back, her head on Ash's lap. He took the veil off her head.  
  
Ash combed his fingers through May's hair. She looked at him. May took hold of his tie and pulled. He slouched over from the pull.  
  
"What the-" Ash said. May pulled him all the way down and kissed him.  
  
May let go of his tie. She started to sit up, knowing Ash's neck and back would start to hurt from being in that position sooner or later. Ash put his arms around her.  
  
May giggled. Ash undid his tie and took it off. He slid the dark blue jacket off.  
  
Ash lied down, May on top of him, her head on his shoulder. He kicked his shoes off. May kissed him again.  
  
Pikachu hopped out of its poke ball. The moment it got out it regretted coming out. It watched the newly married couple. After a few seconds it yelled, "Get a room!"  
  
Ash looked at the pokemon. "We already did," he said, smiling slightly.  
  
Pikachu looked around the room. "::Sweatdrop:: Oops. Sorry, I'll leave you alone then." Pikachu said.  
  
Pikachu and Houndoom left for the movie theatre. Ash and May looked at each other. They grinned and went at each other.  
  
One of Ash's poke balls rolled off the table and Charizard popped out when it hit the floor. It stretched its neck and wings in stiffness. The fire lizard watched them.  
  
"Um, are you two having fun making-out or not?" Charizard asked.  
  
Ash groaned at the sight of the pokemon. "Is it just me, or is all my pokemon coming out to bug us for some reason?" he asked.  
  
"No, it's not you," May said. Ash looked at Charizard.  
  
"Charizard! Get in your poke ball!" he yelled. Charizard returned to the poke ball.  
  
Ash looked at May again. She smiled. They went into a kiss. It took no time to get back to what they were doing.  
  
It was half an hour by the time one of the little spheres wobbled, then in a flash of red light, a Chikorita came out. Chikorita sat on the floor. Unlike Pikachu or Charizard, it did the smart thing and stayed quiet.  
  
Chikorita said to it's self, "If I stay quiet like this, maybe they won't notice me. "  
  
Chikorita held its breath, not wanting to make a sound. When it had to take in some new air, it exhaled too loudly. Ash and May looked over at Chikorita.  
  
"You two, uh, look very cute when your, um, hugging and kissing and uh, stuff." Chikorita said quietly.  
  
"What do we have to do to get some privacy around here? Put locks on the poke balls to keep them from coming out?" Ash groaned. May looked at him. She laughed.  
  
"When you have pokemon, the word 'privacy' isn't even a word!" she said.  
  
Chikorita sat down, waiting for one of them to say something to her. Just to get their attention, it started yelling. They looked at her. "What?" Ash asked.  
  
"I want to talk. Yesterday, I saw another Chiko-" it started.  
  
"GET IN YOU POKE BALL!" both Ash and May said. Chikorita did as instructed before they got mad.  
  
Ash looked at May. "I've got an idea." he said, "Why don't we go into the bedroom so they don't bother us if they pop out again."  
  
May nodded. She got up and stood up next the couch. Ash got up next to her. They ran into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.  
  
They got onto the bed. May giggled again. She hugged and kissed Ash. He laid back like before. That time no pokemon was going to stop them.  
  
A few hours later, Pikachu and Houndoom came back from the movies. Pikachu carried the bag of popcorn. "I wonder where Ash and May went." Pikachu said.  
  
"They're right th-" Houndoom started. Pikachu shook its head.  
  
"No they ain't!" it snapped, "help me get the others out." They got the pokemon out.  
  
"What is it?" Beedrill yawned.  
  
"We need all your help. We can't find Ash and May," Pikachu said. Charizard scratched its head.  
  
"If I'm correct, I'd say they went in there," it said, pointing at the shut doors of the bedroom. Pikachu frowned.  
  
"He wouldn't." Pikachu said.  
  
"He would," Charizard said. All the pokemon agreed. Pikachu frowned.  
  
"No, no he wouldn't," Pikachu said.  
  
"Pikachu! Get your head out of the past and into the present! Ash isn't ten anymore! He a grown adult now! He's not going to think about pokemon 24/7!" Penny said. May's pikachu, Penny, had an annoyed look.  
  
"He still wouldn't," Pikachu said softly  
  
"Pikachu, listen to me! He is a 18-year-old! Stop thinking of him as a 10- year-old! He isn't going to always be pokemon training! He's going to be doing different things from before!" Penny said. Pikachu shook its head.  
  
"No, no he isn't," Pikachu said. Some of the pokemon shook their heads in sympathy. "Ash ain't like that."  
  
"Pikachu, how do you think he has changed over the years from when he was 10 to now?" Penny asked.  
  
"He has matured over the years. He's gotten better at pokemon training. Um, he's." Pikachu said.  
  
"Pikachu, when Ash was ten, he wasn't interested in girls, it was when he was twelve to thirteen years old by the time he got to that. Right?" Penny asked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess, um, his looks?" Pikachu said. All the pokemon sweat dropped.  
  
"Er, that too, but that was not what I was talking about," Penny said.  
  
"But he still wouldn't." Pikachu said. Penny turned beet red in anger.  
  
"Pikachu, if you don't think so then go look for yourself and tell us what you see!" Penny barked, "You're just about as dense and stubborn as Ash is!" Pikachu bolted in fear. Penny stuck her tongue out.  
  
"Fine, I'll do it," Pikachu said. It crept to the door and opened it just slightly. He crept inside. "A-ash?"  
  
"Huh? Pikachu?" Ash popped his head up, out of the clutter that was once a very nicely made bed. Pikachu could see another head pop up, May this time. She looked at Ash, then at Pikachu, curious to what was wrong.  
  
"Yeah, it's me," Pikachu muttered.  
  
"What do you need, Pikachu?"  
  
"Can you tell me something?" Pikachu asked. Ash smiled.  
  
"If I can, I will," he said. Pikachu explained about everything. Ash suddenly frowned.  
  
"Pikachu," he said, "that is one thing you should be able to figure out yourself."  
  
"How?" Pikachu asked.  
  
"Think about these past years." Pikachu thought a minute. It smiled.  
  
"Is that why you two almost always wanted to be by yourselves?" Pikachu asked.  
  
"May, I think you can answer that," Ash said. May looked at him.  
  
"Well, sorta Pikachu," she said.  
  
"Thanks," Pikachu said. Pikachu turned around to leave, but then looked at them. It laughed at the way Ash and May were in total disarray. It went back to the other pokemon.  
  
"Well?" Penny demanded. Pikachu looked at the other electric mouse.  
  
"I understand now." Pikachu said.  
  
"Let's get some rest," Raichu said. Penny smirked.  
  
"That's the smartest thing you've said in five years," she said. Raichu grumbled.  
  
"Good idea," Pikachu said. It got inside its poke ball. 


	4. May’s Shocking Surprise

Ages: 18-Ash, 18-May, 18-Gary  
  
- 4 -  
  
  
  
Five days after the wedding, May walked around the house with her Pikachu, Penny, looking at all of the different rooms for the time. There were 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 living room, 1 dinning room, 1 family room, and other rooms.  
  
May sighed. She had just found out why she hadn't been feeling to good for the past days. She'd have to tell Ash because it wasn't just the flu.  
  
Ash had been gone all day. He said that he wanted to go to the lab. May said that she'd go to the doctor while he would be gone. She sighed again.  
  
When he got home, she would tell him.  
  
"He's going to freak when I tell him," May said. Penny shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, like you did," Penny said. May glared at Penny.  
  
"Wouldn't you?" May snapped. The pikachu backed off. She heard the door on the floor below open and shut.  
  
May hurried down. Ash picked up Houndoom. He looked up at her and smiled. She frowned. "What's the matter, May?" he asked, his warm smile fading.  
  
She bit her lip. Ash walked over and hugged her. "I went to the doctor like I said I would. I don't know if what she told me is good or bad," May said.  
  
"What did she say?" Ash asked. May gulped.  
  
"Ash, I'm.I'm." she started. Ash frowned.  
  
"What?" he asked. May looked at him.  
  
"Ash, I'm pregnant," May said softly.  
  
"Tell me you're kidding!" Ash yelled. May shook her head.  
  
"No," May said. Ash's eyes went very wide.  
  
"We haven't even been married a week! How could this of happened?" he said.  
  
"I don't know how. Maybe it was the-" she began.  
  
"night of the wedding?" he finished. May nodded. Ash sighed.  
  
"I don't even have a job.Well, there's nothing we can do about that, huh?" he said. May frowned. They stood there in silence for a few minutes.  
  
Gary walked in and stood looking at Ash and May. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
Ash and May looked at him. "May's pregnant," Ash said.  
  
Gary frowned. "Most couples would be happy about that," he said.  
  
"It's not that we're not happy about it, it's just that we aren't ready for this," Ash said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Gary asked.  
  
"Nether of us has a job yet," May said. Gary laughed.  
  
"You don't need one! The pokemon league pays Ash a lot of money for being pokemon master!" Gary said. Ash and May looked at each other.  
  
"Really? I didn't know that," Ash said.  
  
"Well they do. They decided that when you are a pokemon master, you'll most likely not have time for another job!" Gary said.  
  
"Ok, that's great. It's surprising that we haven't been married even a week and this happens," Ash said. May nodded.  
  
"Whatever. Well, I'm going to get going." Ash and May nodded.  
  
"Bye," they said. Gary opened the door and walked out. They looked at each other, then hurried to the phone. May took out an address book and flipped to the first two numbers.  
  
"Mom and Dad will be surprised," May said. She punched in their number.  
  
The phone rang for a minute. "Hello?" Mr. Oak said.  
  
May smiled. She turned on the video part of the phone. "Hi, Dad," she said, "Where's Mom?"  
  
"Behind me," he said.  
  
"Hello!" Mrs. Oak said.  
  
"Hi Mom," May said.  
  
"What's up?" Mr. Oak asked.  
  
"We've got a surprise," May said, "but first, I think Mom should sit down before she faints when we tell you."  
  
"Ok, I'm sitting," Mrs. Oak said. May looked at Ash, who was beside her.  
  
"We are having a baby," May said. Mrs. Oak didn't faint, but fell.  
  
"Well!" she said.  
  
"That's wonderful," Mr. Oak said.  
  
"Yeah," May said.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you have things to do," Mr. Oak said.  
  
"Yeah," May said.  
  
"Bye," they said. May hung up.  
  
"Let's call the rest?" May asked.  
  
"All right," Ash said, "don't call Cyrus and Anne. We're going to be seeing them sometime in this year."  
  
"Like when?" May asked.  
  
"Oh? Sometime in September," Ash said. May nodded. They flipped through the pages of the address book, calling a lot of the people in them. 


	5. Jessica

Ages: 18-Ash, 18-May, 18-Cyrus, 18-Anne  
  
- 5 -  
  
The 20th of September arrived, bringing with it the chaos that had been dreaded for months. Cyrus and Anne were to show up that day. That was also the day May was due to have the baby.  
  
The doorbell rang. Ash stood up and answered the door. Cyrus and Anne walked into the living room.  
  
When they had all sat down in the living room, Ash and May told them all that has happened. Stupidly, Cyrus made an unneeded comment about the way May's stomach wasn't flat like it was when they last saw each other.  
  
May burst into tears the instant he said it. Ash and Anne both yelled at him for it. "YOU IDIOT!"  
  
"What did I do?" Cyrus asked.  
  
"May's pregnant, you fool!" Ash said, hitting Cyrus in the side of the head. He hissed in pain.  
  
"I didn't know that!" Cyrus hissed, glaring at Ash.  
  
"How is it that everyone else knows it, except you?!" Anne yelled. Cyrus cringed.  
  
"I'm sorry, ok?!?!" Cyrus said. May wiped at the tears with her hand. She sat up straight.  
  
"Stop yelling!" she said. They looked at her. "I'm going into the kitchen. Do any of you want something to drink?"  
  
May stood up. Cyrus nodded sheepishly. Anne stood up too. "I'll come."  
  
She smiled. "Thanks Anne," she said.  
  
Ash was about to get up, when May said, "Sit back down."  
  
"May, you aren't suppose to be doing unnecessary work like you are, though."  
  
"Like I said. I ain't going to die from going in the kitchen. Unless Anne tries to murder me, nothing is going to happen."  
  
"What ever you say, your majesty!" Ash sat back down. May went to the kitchen with Anne, right after hitting Ash, giggling afterwards.  
  
Anne put ice into four separate glasses. May filled three of them with soda. She took hold of the forth glass and picked it up.  
  
May squeezed the glass in pain. The tiny pieces of glass fell all over the counter and floor. Anne looked at her. "What did you do that for?" she asked.  
  
"Get Ash!" May said.  
  
"Why?" Anne asked.  
  
"JUST DO IT!" May barked. Anne turned around to go get him, but Ash came in instead.  
  
"What happened?" he asked. May looked at him. The glass shards in her hands cut through her skin, as she balled her hands in fists. Blood came up between her fingers, making the gold of her wedding ring look red.  
  
"Get me to the hospital," she said. Ash walked over.  
  
"What is it?" Ash asked. He took out the glass in her skin while he talked.  
  
"It's th-the baby," May said.  
  
Ash took the car keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Anne. "Go get the car started," he said.  
  
"Why?" she asked. Ash looked at her.  
  
"Darn it, just do it!" he snarled. Anne hurried out of the room. He looked at May. "Let's go."  
  
May took two steps, before crying out in pain. Ash looked at the doorway. The garage where the Sedan was linked to the house itself. The door to it was down the hall.  
  
Ash looked at May. He picked her up and carried her. May whimpered in pain.  
  
Anne had all four of the car doors open. Ash got May into the car and climbed in himself. Cyrus and Anne got in, too.  
  
Ash pushed the remote to open the garage door. He stepped on the gas pedal and the car went forward with a spurt of speed.  
  
The Silver Sedan sped through Pallet Town on its many roads. Ash pushed the brake when they got to the hospital, making the car dead stop.  
  
Ash got May into the hospital as fast as possible. Anne pulled the keys out of the ignition, since Ash was in too much of a hurry to do it himself. Cyrus climbed out of the car and went in with Anne.  
  
They walked up to a woman in the emergency room. She looked up. "Hello, may I help you?" she asked.  
  
"No, not at all. We're just going to wait for two friends of ours," Cyrus said.  
  
"Who is are these friends of yours?" she asked.  
  
"Ash and May Ketchum," Cyrus said.  
  
"Really? I just had some one take them into the emergency room. There's a delivery room in there." she said, "It'll be a few hours before we can let any one go back there to see them." Cyrus nodded. Him and Anne went and sat down.  
  
"Cyrus, have you noticed the way the people here are all excited about something?" Anne asked. Cyrus looked around and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I wonder what happened." he said. He looked at a little girl sitting next to him with her father. She was bouncing up and down in her seat. "Uh, little girl?" he asked.  
  
She looked at him. "Huh?" she said.  
  
"Why are you so excited?" he asked.  
  
"I saw the pokemon master! I asked him if he would sign my autograph book, but he said, 'I'm sorry, but I really can't do it right now. If I can, I'll do it later.' He said that quickly," she said.  
  
Cyrus nodded. Anne looked at them. They looked at the emergency room door, wondering what was happening.  
  
May squeezed Ash's hand, making him wince. She had been screaming in pain. "May, please don't-" he started.  
  
May screamed again, right in his ear. "-scream in my ear," he finished.  
  
Ash rubbed the side of his head with his hand. "I'm already getting a head ache from this," he moaned, "Anyone have some aspirin?"  
  
"Come on, Mrs. Ketchum! Push!" the nurse said.  
  
"That sounds easier then it is, huh?" Ash asked. May nodded.  
  
"Mrs. Ketchum! Try harder!" the doctor snapped. Ash looked at her.  
  
"SHUT UP!" he snapped at the doctor.  
  
The doctor looked at him. Ash didn't look that happy. "Stop snapping at her to do something that she is already doing!" Ash said.  
  
She looked at him. May bit her lip, holding back from screaming in anguish again.  
  
Ash stood by May the 3 hours it took for the baby to be born. May's every scream of pain and suffering like a spear to him.  
  
May looked at Ash. He turned around and was about to walk out. "No,  
  
no, don't go!" she cried.  
  
He looked at her and smiled. "I'm just going to get Anne and Cyrus, plus," he said, "I promised a little girl out here that I'd sign her autograph book, and you know I never break my promise unless I have a good reason for breaking it."  
  
May nodded. Ash walked out and went into the room Cyrus and Anne were at. He looked at the little girl. "Hand me your book," he said.  
  
She handed it to him, with a red pen. "What's your name?" he asked.  
  
"My name's Nicky and I want to become a pokemon trainer and go into the pokemon league," she said.  
  
Ash turned to an empty page and wrote her a little note: To Nicky: Good luck when you're a pokemon trainer and in the league. Train hard with your  
  
pokemon on your journeys. -Ash Ketchum  
  
Ash handed it back to Nicky. She smiled and showed her father. He looked at Anne and Cyrus. "Come on, let's go back," he said.  
  
They stood up and followed Ash into the emergency room. May looked at them when they made it. She smiled.  
  
"Told you I just went out there to get them and sign that girl's book," Ash said. May smiled.  
  
"Do you two know if the baby is a boy or a girl?" Anne asked.  
  
"We've known that for a while. It's a girl," Ash said.  
  
"A girl? What's her name going to be?" Cyrus asked. Ash looked at May.  
  
"We don't know." May said. Anne frowned.  
  
"Well, shouldn't you think of one?" she asked. Ash frowned.  
  
"Jessica," he said. They looked at him.  
  
"Jessica?" Anne said.  
  
"Yeah, I just thought of it." Ash said, "I heard it on a game I played before."  
  
"Which one?" Cyrus asked.  
  
"Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete," Ash said.  
  
"For a name from a video game, it sounds nice. Why don't we name the  
  
baby Jessica?" May asked.  
  
"Ok, Jessica it is," Ash said.  
  
"Can you think of any other names from the video games you've played?" May asked.  
  
"Yes. There's Jean, Lucia, Lemina, and Mauri from Lunar 2: Eternal Blue. Then there's Mia, Luna, Phacia, Royce, Althena." Ash said.  
  
"How about Jessica's middle name be Althena?" May said.  
  
"Jessica Althena Ketchum?" Cyrus said. Ash thought a minute.  
  
"Ok," he said, smiling.  
  
"Do you know what the girl's name is going to be?" the nurse asked. She looked up at the clock and wrote something down on a form in her hand.  
  
"Yes," Ash said.  
  
"What it is going to be?" the nurse asked.  
  
"Jessica Althena Ketchum!" May said. 


	6. Good Night, Bad Day

Ages: 21-Ash, 21-May, 3-Jessica, 21-Cyrus, 21-Anne, 21-Sakura, 21-Lee  
  
- 6 -  
  
Ash lied on the couch watching TV, bored stiff. Jessica hopped up onto the couch. She sat on his stomach. "Hey! You're sitting on me!" he said.  
  
May looked at him. "Ash, leave her alone."  
  
"She's sitting on me!" he said. Jessica saw the remote on the floor,  
  
hopped down, and picked it up.  
  
"Barney!" she yelled, pushing a button labeled 'Channel Jessica.' It was her favorite channel because it had Barney, Telatubbies, and all her favorite shows on it. The purple dinosaur was singing at the moment.  
  
"I have got to remember to stop putting the remote down!" Ash sighed. He got up and went in the kitchen.  
  
"Poor Ash can't watch what he wants because Jessica's watching Barney!" May sang.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"No. Ash, we have to meet Cyrus, Anne, Sakura, and Li tonight, remember?" she said.  
  
"Yes. We still have a few hours," Ash said. He walked out of the kitchen.  
  
Ding dong! Ash walked to the door and opened it. It was Sakura and Li. "Hi, Ash," she said.  
  
"Hi," he said. Li gave him a look.  
  
"What's up?" Li asked.  
  
"Nothin." Li sighed and walked into the house. Sakura smiled at Jessica.  
  
"Aunt Sakura!" Jessica yelled. She ran at Sakura.  
  
"May!" Ash yelled. May looked at him from upstairs.  
  
"Coming!" she yelled. May came downstairs.  
  
Delia Ketchum knocked on the door. Ash opened it again. She was going to watch Jessica for the night.  
  
"Have a good time," Delia said.  
  
"Ok," they said. Ash, May, Li, and Sakura left.  
  
The music was pounding when they arrived. "Ash?" May asked.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I want you to go find Cyrus and Anne," she said.  
  
"What did you say?" he asked. She yelled what she said. "Oh! Ok!"  
  
Ash went in search for them. May, Sakura, and Li went in another direction to help look.  
  
"Yo, Ash!" Cyrus yelled, running over. They got to each other.  
  
"Where's Anne?" Ash asked.  
  
"Right here!" she said. She was behind him. Ash took them to the rest of the group.  
  
It was a few minutes later. Cyrus, Li, and Ash-who by chance was not having a very good time-, was sitting at the bar, talking about this and that.  
  
"Come on!" Cyrus cried, "Just one!"  
  
"No." Ash said stiffly, "I don't drink and you know it!"  
  
"Pppllleeeaaassseee?" he begged.  
  
"NO!" Ash yelled.  
  
"Come on!" Cyrus said. He thought a moment. A smile appeared.  
  
"No!" Ash said.  
  
"Wimp," Cyrus muttered. Ash glared at him.  
  
"WIMP?! I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S A WIMP!!!" Ash yelled. Cyrus muttered to the woman behind the counter something. She nodded and walked away.  
  
"Go ahead, Ash," Cyrus said, when she returned to them with the glass. Ash looked at Li, who shrugged. He drank as much of it as he could in one gulp.  
  
Cyrus and Lee's jaws dropped. They couldn't believe it. "We can't believe you just did that!" they said.  
  
"Oh well," Ash said. He took another gulp of it. Cyrus and Li shock their disbelief off and continued talking.  
  
"A-ash, I don't think that is a good idea." Cyrus said, "It could give you alcohol poisoning. It is a little much for you.."  
  
"What'cha' talkin' 'bout, Cyrus? It ain't gonna do that," Ash said. His speech was getting slurred.  
  
"Look what you have gone and done, Cyrus!" Li hissed, "May is going to cream us!"  
  
"No she won't! She'll just get Ash outta here before he hurts himself." Cyrus said.  
  
"I'm going to make sure those three aren't getting in trouble," Sakura said. She walked over to them. Cyrus and Li stood up in front of Sakura. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Nothing! Nothing." Cyrus said.  
  
"Cyrus, you gotta stop worrying over nothin'!" Ash said. Sakura saw Ash.  
  
"Oh dear!" she said. Sakura looked at Cyrus and Li. "What have one of you done?"  
  
"nothing!" they said. Sakura glared at them. She went right next to Ash.  
  
"Ash?" she asked.  
  
"'Uh?" he asked.  
  
"Let's go see May," she said sweetly.  
  
"Who?" he asked. Sakura glared at Cyrus and Li again.  
  
"Look what's happened now!" she said.  
  
"May!" Sakura said.  
  
"Oh.May." he said. Ash stood up. He was a little wobbly at first. Sakura lead him all the way through the place.  
  
"MAY!" Sakura yelled.  
  
"Over here!" May yelled. Sakura got him over to her.  
  
"What did he do?!" she yelled.  
  
"I didn't do nothin'!" Ash said. May sighed.  
  
"May, we got to get him back to your house!" Sakura said.  
  
"Yeah." May said, "Come on, Ashy, let's go home!"  
  
"Who ya talkin' to?" Ash asked.  
  
"You," May said.  
  
"I don't wanna go!" he said.  
  
"ok, we won't go.but you stay with me," May said.  
  
"Ok." Sakura started her conversation with Anne again. Ash was a little more playful then usual.  
  
"Ash! Not here!" May said.  
  
"What are you trying to do Ash? Rape her?" Sakura said. Ash giggled.  
  
Anne, May, and Sakura looked at each other.  
  
"Um, was it just me, or did I just hear him giggle?" Anne asked.  
  
"Not you, that's for sure," Sakura said. Cyrus had showed up a few minutes before. He was laughing, hard.  
  
"Hahaha! I can't believe I just heard him giggling!" Cyrus roared.  
  
"Shut up!" they said. Cyrus shut his mouth. Li ran up to them.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, Ash just attempted to r-" Cyrus said.  
  
"Ahem, Ash just wanted to kiss me!" May snapped.  
  
"No, he tried to-"  
  
"Don't tell me what he was doing!" May snapped.  
  
"May, I'm bbbbbbbbbooooooooorrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeddddddddd!" Ash whined, nuzzling her. May smiled.  
  
Anne and Sakura both giggled, Cyrus smirked, and Li just stood there watching blankly. "Why are you bored?" she asked.  
  
"There's nothin' to do here!" Ash whined.  
  
"What do you wanna do, Ashy?" May asked.  
  
"Go home," he said.  
  
"Ok, if you want to," May said. Sakura and Li trailed behind. Cyrus and Anne were behind them.  
  
"Ash, you have to be a idiot to listen to Cyrus," Anne said. They were in the car. Anne sat in the front with Cyrus. Li, Sakura, May, and Ash were in the back.  
  
"Who?" Ash asked.  
  
"You," she said. May glared at her.  
  
"Ohh," Ash groaned.  
  
"What's the matter?" May asked.  
  
"I.!!!!!" He fainted.  
  
"Oh, wonderful!!! Ash just passed out!!!!" Li grumbled, "Thanks Cyrus!"  
  
"Don't blame me!" Cyrus said. Li grumbled again. May sighed.  
  
They pulled up to the house. Cyrus carried Ash into the house without much difficulty. Delia looked up. She gasped.  
  
"What happened to him?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, Cyrus just went and got Ash drunk! He fainted in the car!" May said, "Get him upstairs!"  
  
"Mommy?" Jessica asked. May thanked Delia and she left. Jessica ran to May.  
  
"It's time for bed for you!" she said. Jessica ran upstairs. Cyrus, Anne, Sakura, and Li left. May climbed the stairs.  
  
***The next day*** May made breakfast for Jessica. She left her to eat. It was around 9 in the morning. Frowning, she went upstairs to see if Ash had woken up yet.  
  
To her disappointment, he was still asleep. Then something hit her. "*He is going to have a major hangover when he wakes up.*" she thought sadly.  
  
May went back downstairs. Jessica was playing with her fork. She let the baby down, and watched Jessica run off to the living room.  
  
"What matter Daddy?" May heard Jessica say after 3 hours. She looked  
  
up. Jessica came trotting in, following her father eagerly.  
  
"May," he groaned, "I have a headache."  
  
"Ash, you look like you've died or something," May said, opening a cabinet, and taking a bottle of aspirin out. She took two pills out, and gave them to Ash.  
  
He swallowed them. "And I feel the part." Ash muttered sourly, sitting down at the table, and putting his head down, "I wish I could sleep for a decade."  
  
Jessica tugged on his jeans. Ash looked at her. "Daddy, you say you play wif me!" she squeaked.  
  
Ash closed his eyes for a minute, then opened them again. "Daddy can't play right now. Daddy tired and hurt all over," he said slowly.  
  
"Why do Daddy hurt all over?" Jessica asked. He looked at her with weary eyes.  
  
May watched them. Usually, Ash would be energetic, quite happy to play with Jessica. Right now, he seemed less then thrilled at the thought. "Jessica, go in the living room and get your dollies out," May said.  
  
"Ok, Mommy," Jessica said. She ran out. May sat down by Ash.  
  
"Ash, is that aspirin helping at all?" she asked. He shook his head, no. "Then go back to bed, and try to go back to sleep."  
  
Ash nodded and got up. He trudged back up the stairs. May went to play with Jessica. "Where Daddy go?" she asked.  
  
"Daddy went to take a nap." May said, "Let's play with your dollies!"  
  
"I want to play wif Daddy!" Jessica whined. May frowned.  
  
"He doesn't feel good today, Jessica. Let Daddy rest, then he'll play!" she said.  
  
"Ok!" Jessica said. They played with the dolls that were scattered about for half an hour. Jessica fell asleep on the couch at the usual time.  
  
May went upstairs to check on Ash. She sat down on the edge of the bed. Ash opened his eyes and looked at her.  
  
"Did I wake you up?" she asked. Ash shook his head.  
  
"No," Ash sighed. He shook his head again. "I haven't been able to sleep."  
  
"You feel ok?" May asked, running a hand through his black hair. He shut his eyes, sighing again.  
  
"No," he said, "I've never felt this bad since.ever."  
  
May looked at him. His eyes never looked as dull as they did then. He rolled over, his head on her lap.  
  
"This has to be the worst day of my life," Ash said. He frowned to himself.  
  
"Jessica is taking her 2-hour nap, so I'll stay up here if you want?" May asked. Ash nodded slowly, his head still throbbing with the headache.  
  
May got off the edge of the bed and onto it fully. Ash stretched out, head still on her lap, eyes shut again. "I don't even know why I feel like this." he yawned.  
  
"It's just a hangover Ash," May told him.  
  
"That's wonderful," he muttered sarcastically. Ash frowned. He fell asleep after a LONG while.  
  
Jessica stumbled over to the stairs after she woke up from her nap. She climbed up until she was in the up stairs hallway. "I wanna play!" she cried.  
  
No one heard Jessica crying. She blinked, and walked to one of the doors. Jessica pushed the bottom of it, until the door slowly, but steadily, opened.  
  
"I wanna play!" she repeated. She got ignored again. "Daddy, wake up!"  
  
Jessica climbed halfway up onto the bed. She started screaming, kicking, and trying to get on the bed. "Hey, how'd you get up here?"  
  
She stopped and looked. Ash sat up, shaking his head. He took hold of Jessica, around her middle, and picked her up. "You're suppose to be taking your nap!" he said.  
  
"Mommy said you'd play wif me after your nap! I wanna play!" Jessica squeaked.  
  
"Did she now?" Ash looked around. "Let's see, why don't you, go, um, take another nap?"  
  
"But I wanna play!" she whined.  
  
"But I'm still tired! We'll play after dinner, whenever that is."  
  
"Ok, Daddy," Jessica said. She climbed down, and walked out. Ash shook his head again, and lied back down.  
  
A couple minutes later, something started tugging on the sheets and blanket down on the floor. Ash sighed and looked over the edge. Jessica was back, but now equipped with a blanket and teddy bear. "You said take my nap again, so I wanna take my nap wif Daddy!" she said.  
  
"Oh, fine!" he laughed, picking her up and putting her on the bed. Jessica hugged her teddy bear, wrapped up in her blanket. "Is that better?"  
  
"Yes, Daddy," she said, going to sleep. Ash looked at her, before going to sleep himself. 


	7. Broken

Ages: 24-Ash, 24-May, 6-Jessica, ??-James, ??-Jessie  
  
- 7 -  
  
  
  
Ash walked through the mansion on crutches. He frowned about what had happened a week before.  
  
******Flash Back****** Jessica made one of her pokemon dolls dance on the floor of her bedroom. Ash was standing in the doorway, watching his daughter play. She picked up a doll dress and put it on a Pikachu doll.  
  
He laughed. Jessica had put the dress on his Pikachu, not a doll. Pikachu pulled at the cloth, trying to get it off. She giggled and pulled it off of the poor mouse pokemon. It ran from the room.  
  
"Ash! Can you come help me with this bike!" May yelled from down stairs.  
  
"I'll be right down!" Ash called. He looked at Jessica. "I'll be back."  
  
Jessica looked up. Ash smiled and walked out. He got to the stairs.  
  
"What's the matter with it?" he asked.  
  
"Just get down here!" May yelled.  
  
"Jessica really has to be more careful!" Ash sighed. Houndoor was lying on the step that he stepped onto. It jumped up. Ash fell and tumbled down the staircase.  
  
May looked around the corner to see what happened. The color drained out of her face. She hurried to her fallen husband's side. Ash groaned. He put a hand up to his face.  
  
When he withdrew, blood dripped from his fingertips. May collapsed down onto the floor. She placed his head on her lap. "Are you alright?" she asked.  
  
"Do I look it?" Ash asked. May frowned. She took some tissue out of her pocket and wiped the blood of his face.  
  
"You've got a nose bleed," May said. She took some more tissue out and put it to his nose. Ash looked at his foot. It was wedged in two railing bars.  
  
Ash tried to pull his foot out from the railing. He screamed at the top of his lungs as pain shot through him. May pulled her fingers through his hair. "Don't, Ash," she said.  
  
Houndoor crept down the stairs. It put a paw on Ash's ankle, making him scream again. May had never heard him scream in so much pain. She shooed the Houndoor away.  
  
Jessica looked down the stairs at them. She was about to come down when May said, "Jessica, no! Stay up there!"  
  
For the first time in her life, Jessica ignored the orders and came down the stairs. She took hold of one of the bars holding Ash in his place and pulled. Even with all her might, it wouldn't budge. Pikachu climbed up next to her.  
  
With both of them pulling it, the bar broke off and fell to the floor. May helped Ash pulled his foot from the railing. Ash sat up on the floor.  
  
Ash tried to stand up, but failed in doing so. May helped him up onto his other foot. He took hold of her shoulder, steadying himself. She got him to the couch, where he collapsed onto it.  
  
May sat down next to Ash. He lied back down, his head on May's lap again. She picked up the phone to call for an ambulance.  
  
When May hung the phone up, she started pulling her fingers through Ash's hair again. He tried as hard as he could to ignore the intense pain.  
  
May heard someone pull up. The door swung open to reveal a man in his late thirties-early forties. He walked over to them. "What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Pokemon Master here fell down the stairs," May said. Ash muttered. The man put a hand on Ash's foot. He screamed again. That time, tears streamed down his cheeks, mixing with the blood from his nose.  
  
The man recoiled. He called for a helper to get in there. A young woman walked over to them. "This is a new doctor at the hospital. Her name is Jazzie and my name is Sammy," he said.  
  
"Do you know what's the matter?" Jazzie asked.  
  
"Not exactly. I think he might have broken or sprang his ankle." Sammy said, "It could be worst then I think, though."  
  
"Should I get the ambulance's stretcher?" Jazzie asked.  
  
"It depends.." Sammy said. Ash sat up and looked at them.  
  
"I can walk, you know," Ash said. He stood up, falling to the floor the minute he was up. May looked at him.  
  
"Don't do that!" she scolded. Ash looked at her. He climbed back up, keeping hold of the couch.  
  
Ash wasn't about to quit trying. He kept all his weight on the foot that wasn't hurt. May stood up next to him. She saw that he was gritting his teeth, keeping from screaming again.  
  
Ash took hold of May's shoulder. She took a step forward, as Ash took his own step. Jazzie got in front of them, stopping them. "If you would let me go get-" she started.  
  
"I've been through worst then this. I almost drowned to death. A friend of mine got me out. Afterwards, I had to climb up a hill to get somewhere. Did I ask for help? NO! I CLIMBED UP ON MY OWN, WITH NO HELP!" Ash snarled.  
  
Jazzie cringed. "Just let me get him to the ambulance," May said.  
  
She nodded. May helped Ash to the door. Sammy opened it as wide as it would go. Jazzie watched as they got to the ambulance.  
  
Ash leaned back against the ambulance. Jazzie and Sammy opened the doors. May got him into the ambulance. "I'll see you at the hospital," she said.  
  
******End of Flash Back******  
  
Ash frowned. The brown haired girl bunny hopped next to him. He howled in pain when she bumped into him. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she cried.  
  
"That's.alright.Jess," Ash said. Jessica stopped bunny hopping and walked normally.  
  
"Ash?" May asked. She walked in the door. Ash came over with Jessica.  
  
"Mommy!" Jessica yelled. She ran to May and hugged her.  
  
"Hi, May," Ash said.  
  
"Let me guess, Jess hit you again?" May asked. Ash nodded.  
  
"That bone ain't gonna heal if that keeps up," he said. May smiled.  
  
"Oh well, it'll just take a few more months then usual to heal," she said.  
  
"Yeah, a few more months of having this cast on then wanted," Ash grumbled. May frowned.  
  
"Well, I think I'll wait a little while before I tell you something I found out the day after you fell. It wouldn't help with your mood at the moment," May said. Ash rolled his eyes.  
  
"Just tell me," he said.  
  
"Ash, we're having another baby," May said. Ash smiled.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that when you found out?" he asked.  
  
"Well, I was busy taking care of Jessica and hurrying to the pharmacy to get pain medicine for you," May said.  
  
"Anyway, why don't we keep it quiet for a while?" Ash suggested.  
  
"Alright," May said. The phone rang.  
  
Ash turned the phone on. "Hello? Ash?"  
  
It was James. Jessie, James, and Meowth had quit from Team Rocket and was now working at the pokemon ministry. James's job was to tell Ash about when he was to go to the stadium for a battle or when he had to leave for a meeting. Meowth was the record keeper of the battles and Jessie was secretary.  
  
"What is it, James?" Ash asked.  
  
"The gym leaders and the Elite Four want to have a meeting with you in Lavender Town," James said. Ash frowned.  
  
"James, you know that I just recently hurt myself and can't be traveling that far," Ash said.  
  
"Yes, I know. They're getting pretty persistent about these meetings, though," James said.  
  
"Well tell them I can't," Ash said.  
  
"Yes, Ash," James said. Ash hung up. He looked at May.  
  
"Do I ever get to take a break?" he asked. May smiled.  
  
"No."  
  
Ash gave May a strange look. She smiled.  
  
"Why don't we all get a little sleep?" Ash suggested.  
  
May nodded. Jessica ran over to the stairs. Ash and May walked over. He handed May his left crutch and went up the left side of the stairs, hanging onto the railing.  
  
Jessica skipped up each step. May followed behind them. Ash waited.  
  
They climbed up the stairs. May got Jessica into her bed and shut the door. She walked to Ash.  
  
Ash walked into May and his own bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning the crutches against the wall. May walked in and shut the door.  
  
Ash put his left leg up on the bed. He grabbed his right knee and pulled his right foot up and got completely on the bed. May sat down next to him.  
  
May leaned back against Ash. He hugged her. They lied on the bed together. Ash could smell something like roses.  
  
"May, by chance, are you wearing that perfume I got ya?" Ash asked.  
  
"Yes. Why? Does it bother you?" May said.  
  
"Of course not! I it did, I wouldn't of got it for you!" he said, laughing. May shut her eyes.  
  
Ash and May fell in a tranquil sleep together. It took 20 minutes for Ash to wake up from the throbbing pain in his leg. He looked at the bottle of pain medicine on the nightstand.  
  
He carefully tried to get the bottle. It was just a few inches away from his hand. Ash searched for Pikachu's poke ball in his pocket.  
  
Ash let the mouse out. "Will you get me that bottle there?" he asked.  
  
Pikachu jumped over onto the nightstand. It picked up the bottle and  
  
brought it over. Ash opened it and took out two pills. He popped them into his mouth and shut the bottle.  
  
Ash returned Pikachu to its poke ball. He put the poke ball away and went back to sleep. 


	8. A Little Girl, One Day Old

Ages: 24-Ash, 24-May, 6-Jessica, 0-Arianna, 27-Luna  
  
- 8 -  
  
Jessica was starting to get restless again. Luna gave her a plate of cookies that she made herself to eat. "I want mommy and daddy!" Jessica cried.  
  
Luna had been taking care of Jessica since the day before. Ash had called her in a hurry, asking her to watch Jessica. Being the helpful person she was, she agreed. "Mommy and daddy are at the hospital," Luna said.  
  
"I want Mommy! I want Daddy!" Jessica cried. Luna sighed. Jessica wasn't going to stop yelling until she got what she wanted.  
  
Luna got Jessica in the car and drove to the hospital. Jessica ran through the halls. A nurse stopped her. "Where are you going?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"To Mommy's room," Jessica said, "Do you know where it is?"  
  
The nurse shook her head and gave Jessica a lolli pop in apology. Jessica hurried through the halls again, Luna running to stay caught up with her. People watched the little girl as she passed.  
  
"Ash, you should go home and get Jessica," May said. Ash nodded.  
  
"Alright," he said. Ash smiled at the little baby in May's arms, before opening the door and walking out.  
  
Jessica ran into Ash, not paying attention. He looked at her. "Jessica! What are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"I came to find you and mommy!" Jessica said. Ash smiled.  
  
"I was just about to come get you!" Ash said. Luna walked up.  
  
"Jessica cryed that she wanted you and May," Luna said. Ash smiled.  
  
"That's Jessica for ya," he said. Ash noticed that Jessica was fiddling with the lolli pop. He took it out of it's wrapper for her after she handed it to him. Jessica sucked on it loudly.  
  
"Thanks for taking care of her for us," Ash said. Luna nodded.  
  
"How's the baby?" Luna asked.  
  
"Good. It's a girl. I've always said that Jessica looks more like May. But May says that when this new baby is older, that she is going to look more like me," Ash said.  
  
"What's her name?" Luna asked.  
  
"Arianna." Ash said, "Arianna Jean."  
  
"Arianna Jean Ketchum.you two think of some good names," Luna said.  
  
"Oh well," Ash said. He looked at Jessica.  
  
"Well, I'm going to get going," Luna said.  
  
"Ok. Bye Luna," Ash said.  
  
"Bye Aunt Luna," Jessica said. Luna waved and walked away.  
  
"Let's go see Mommy and your new little sister," Ash said.  
  
"Yeah!" Jessica said. Ash opened the door and came back in. Jessica  
  
hurried over. Ash laughed as Jessica tried to get up on the edge of the bed. He lifted Jessica up onto the bed.  
  
Jessica was looking at Arianna. The baby peered at her curiously. May smiled. "Jessica, meet Arianna. Arianna, meet Jessica," May said.  
  
Ash laughed. May hardly ever took things seriously. Arianna peered around, eyeing her big sister.  
  
May looked at Ash. He smiled again. Jessica watched the baby look around again.  
  
Ash, May, Jessica, and Arianna stayed at the hospital for the rest of the day. 


	9. Traveling

Ages: 27-Ash, 27-May, 9-Jessica, 3-Arianna  
  
- 9 -  
  
  
  
Ash sat in the living room, playing a video game with Arianna. Arianna's long black hair started falling out of the ponytail it was in. May sat next to Ash. She leaned back against him.  
  
Arianna pushed the buttons on the remote, making the Ponyta move around the screen. Jessica came in and sat next to Arianna.  
  
"Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring! Phone call! Phone call!" the phone rang out. Ash answered it.  
  
"Hello?" he said.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Ketchum." It was the minister of the pokemon league ministry.  
  
"What is it?" Ash asked.  
  
"We need you to go to Saffron," he said.  
  
"Two questions: Why and when?" Ash said.  
  
"For a few meetings with the town and this month," he said.  
  
"Fine," Ash said. The minister nodded and hung up.  
  
Ash sighed and told May that he'd be going to Saffron. She frowned.  
  
Jessica and Arianna looked at them.  
  
It was that Friday when they stood at the airport, waiting for them to announce the plane. When Ash's plane was called, he gave all of them a hug, before heading onto the plane.  
  
Ash watched as the ground fell from beneath the plane as it glided up into the sky. He sighed at the thought of being in Saffron for a month. The pokemon master listened to the sounds of the airplane.  
  
It didn't feel like a long trip. Ash went straight to the gym. Sabrina had said that if he wanted to, that he was welcome to stay at the gym.  
  
Ash watched her battle trainers. One of the trainer's was oddly familiar.  
  
"My name is Nicky and I'm from the town of Pallet and I challenge you!" she said. Ash looked at the girl about to battle Sabrina.  
  
"Nicky.Nicky." Ash murmured. He tried to think of where he had heard  
  
that name before. It clicked after a minute. She was the girl at the hospital he had met when May was having Jessica.  
  
Ash watched the battle with great interest. The battle took half an hour. Nicky beat Sabrina's Kadabra in five hits.  
  
It was interesting, staying at her gym. Ash watched her battle most of the time. There were the times when he had those "meetings" with the town. He  
  
hated them.  
  
He didn't exactly like the trip. The only thing keeping him from neglecting the reason he was there was the thought of the sooner it was over, the sooner he'd be going home. Ash called every night if he could.  
  
The night before he'd be going back to Pallet Town, Ash picked up the  
  
phone and dialed the number to his house. It rung for a few minutes, before he got a answer. "Hello? Who is this?"  
  
Ash smiled. He knew it was May. In the lowest voice he could manage, he said, "This is Bruno of the Elite Four."  
  
"Hello, Bruno. What do you need? Wait, where are you?" May asked. Ash had to cover the mouthpiece to keep her from hearing him laugh.  
  
"May, I'm not Bruno..I'm the ghost of a Cubone! So you can't see me!  
  
Mwahahahahahah!" Ash said, switching to an eerie ghostly voice.  
  
"Hahaha, very funny." May said sarcastically, "I know it's you, Ash."  
  
Ash stood up straight and dropped the fake voice. "Ohhh, how'd you know it was me?" he said.  
  
"I've known you too long to be tricked," May said. Ash laughed.  
  
"Ohhhhhhh, why?" Ash whined.  
  
"Stop whining," May said. He smiled.  
  
"Alright," Ash said.  
  
"I want you here," May said.  
  
"Why?" Ash asked.  
  
"I want you to hold me, if you know what I mean," May said. Ash blushed bright red.  
  
"Hehehe, I don't think you should have said that," Ash said.  
  
"Oh? Why not?" May asked.  
  
"Because Sabrina is right here," Ash said. He looked at Sabrina. "She wants to see Jessica and Arianna."  
  
"Ahhhhhh, it looks like I embarrassed you!" May said.  
  
"Yep," Ash said, "very much so."  
  
"Looks like I did my job, then," May said. Ash groaned.  
  
"Why must you always mock me?" he asked.  
  
"Because," May said.  
  
"Aw," he moaned. May laughed. She loved to tease him.  
  
Ash shook his head. He told her about his day and listened to May talk, until Jessica got onto the phone. Jessica had the biggest smile she'd ever had.  
  
He sighed when he hung up. Sabrina had left for a battle she postponed for a few minutes. Ash looked out the window to the night sky, waiting as each second ticked on for morning, knowing he would never get to sleep. 


	10. Ash’s First Day Home

Ages: 27-Ash, 27-May, 9-Jessica, 3-Arianna, 27-Cyrus, 27-Anne  
  
- 10 -  
  
  
  
Arianna stood in front of the window, waiting for the Sedan to come. Jessica watched her baby sister. Arianna started yelling, "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!"  
  
Ash opened the door wide. Arianna jumped down from the box and ran at him. He fell in surprise when she grabbed him around the knees.  
  
"That was nice of you," Ash said, smiling. Arianna looked at him.  
  
"It was?" she asked. May walked in the door. She looked at Ash.  
  
"What are you doing down there?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing," Ash said. May was about to shut the door when Cyrus slid in.  
  
"Hello!" he said. Ash looked up at him.  
  
"Hi," he said. Cyrus looked around.  
  
"Hey, where are you?" Cyrus asked.  
  
"Down here," Ash said. He looked at him.  
  
"Hi down there," Cyrus said.  
  
"Ha ha." Ash muttered, "What do ya want?"  
  
"I came to ask if you all would come for lunch with me and Anne."  
  
"I'm fine with it." Ash said, "How about you, May?"  
  
"Ok," she said. Ash stood up. Jessica walked over. May picked up Arianna. She followed Cyrus outside, Ash and Jessica behind her.  
  
"Hi," Anne said. She let them in with Cyrus.  
  
"Oh, why did it look like pokemon had took over?" Cyrus asked.  
  
"We let the pokemon we've gotten run around the house. I had to get a pool for a few of them and a stable for two for them," Ash said.  
  
"Really? Will you show them to us?" Cyrus asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ash said. Anne looked at them.  
  
"Why don't we eat?" she asked. They nodded.  
  
Arianna slurped her soup like it was the end of the world. Ash laughed.  
  
"What's so funny?" May asked.  
  
"Remember when Mrs. Oak had made spaghetti and when I was eating it. I tried to suck up the rest of it up, and it hit me?" Ash said. May laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I almost died laughing," May said, smiling.  
  
"That's nice," Ash said.  
  
They finished lunch and went back to Ash and May's house. Ash lead them to part of the yard that was covered in tall grass. "Oddish and Ledian and Bellossom," Ash said, pointing out the pokemon.  
  
Ash led them over to the pool. "Seel, Dewgong, Lapras, and Wooper," Ash said, showing them more pokemon. He took them to a tree.  
  
"Butterfree, Nidoran Female, Cubone, Eevee, and Ditto," Ash said, "Ok, over to the fire house."  
  
The group went over to a little red house. They went inside. A fire burned in the center of the room. "Moltres, Ninetails, and Charmander." Ash said, "Let's go to the stables."  
  
Ash showed them the stables. Two fire pokemon were in it, sleeping at the moment. "May's Ponyta and my Rapidash," he said.  
  
"Can we go to that garden looking place?" Anne asked. Ash smiled.  
  
"The pokemon nursery?" he asked. Anne nodded. He nodded and took them there.  
  
"In these little beds are baby pokemon. In the first is Pichu, second is Igglybuff, third is Togepi, fourth is Smoochum, and fifth is Elekid. Wigglytuff sings them to sleep and Blissey takes care of them if they get sick," Ash said. He led them out and to Mystical Lagoon.  
  
"What pokemon are here?" Cyrus asked.  
  
"Suicune, Porygon 2, Dragonair, and Articuno," Ash said.  
  
"Ash, aren't the rest of them in the house?" May asked. Ash nodded. He opened the back door to the house and walked in with them.  
  
"This is my pika pal here on the kitchen table with Penny," Ash said.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu said.  
  
"Pika!" Penny said.  
  
"This is Jynx," Ash said. Jynx kissed him, paralyzing him. "Jynx! Don't do that again!" he yelled.  
  
"Jynx, Jynx" Jynx said. It slid away. After Ash got unparalyzed, he continued telling them what pokemon were there, now on the second floor.  
  
"This is Smeargle.! HEY!!! Knock it off!" Ash snapped. Smeargle looked at him. It wiped the green ooze off the wall.  
  
"Smear," Smeargle apologized. Ash sighed.  
  
"That Houndoom I got evolved into Houndoor. Why are a lot of the pokemon sleeping, May?" Ash asked May.  
  
"Ash, you know it's nap time for the pokemon," May said. Ash frowned.  
  
"Oh yeah. Anyway, this is Sneasel," Ash said, opening the closet door. Sneasel was curled up inside. It looked at them.  
  
"Arianna likes Flaffy, so it stays in her room. Jessica here likes Meowth and we let her have it. Were is it, Jess?" Ash asked.  
  
"In my bedroom," Jessica said. She showed them Meowth. It was curled up in a cat bed on the floor.  
  
"This is the Eevee room," Ash said.  
  
"Actually, it's one of the spare rooms. We wanted to make it into the Eevee Room," May said.  
  
"Well, uh, that's Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon," Ash said, "there's Espeon, and Umbreon."  
  
Ash took them to his own and May's room. "This is Mew," he said.  
  
Mew floated over in its pink bubble. It stayed next to Ash. He walked out, the pokemon followed with the rest. They went down to the living room.  
  
They sat down on the couch and chairs. "You have lot's of pokemon here. How'd you get them all?" Anne asked.  
  
Ash watched Arianna. She was in one of Mew's pink bubbles, floating around the room with Pikachu. "I caught some of them. Like Oddish, Rapidash, Seel, Cubone, Eevee, and a few others are some that I got. The rest we got from a pokemon pet shop, with the exception of a few that May had already."  
  
Chikorita slid up next to Ash. The grass pokemon sat silently. It rubbed against him. Ash looked at it.  
  
"May?" Ash said.  
  
"Huh?" May said.  
  
"I don't think Chikorita knows that I'm a married man," he said. May looked at Chikorita.  
  
"Oh?" May said. Ash looked at her.  
  
"You are a big help." Ash said, "Chikorita, stop it."  
  
Chikorita looked at him. It backed off at once. Ash looked at May. "You did it on your own," May said.  
  
"Yay," Ash said sarcastically.  
  
"We have to split," Cyrus said.  
  
"Yeah," Anne said. May and Ash looked at them.  
  
"Ok," they said. Anne and Cyrus stood up and left. Arianna floated over by in the pink bubble.  
  
"What time is it?" May asked. Ash looked at his watch.  
  
"8 to 9 o'clock," Ash said. May looked at Arianna.  
  
"It's time for Arianna to go to bed," May said. She stood up to get Arianna.  
  
Arianna floated in the other direction. May dug her nails into the bubble. It popped and Arianna fell down. She caught her before she fell to the floor.  
  
"Time for bed," May said. Arianna put up a struggle, not wanting to go to bed. May took her up to her bedroom.  
  
"I don't wanna sleep," Arianna whined.  
  
"You have to," May said. She put Arianna into her bed, got Flaffy up onto the bed, and shut off the light, the poke ball nightlight switching on. May went back down stairs.  
  
May pulled Ash up. "What?" he asked.  
  
"Come on," May said. She pulled Ash to the staircase.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
"Because," she said, pushing him up the stairs.  
  
"Because why?" he said. May didn't answer that time. She pushed him the rest of the way up the stairs. Mew followed after them.  
  
When May had pushed Ash into their bedroom and slammed the door shut, he looked at her and asked, "Ok, now that you aren't pushing me up steps, please tell me why?"  
  
"Later," May said. She hugged Ash.  
  
"Would you please tell me why you had to push me up here?" Ash asked. May looked at him.  
  
"Take a go-o-o-o-od guess," she said. Ash looked at her. He grinned.  
  
"You just had to say so," he said in her ear. 


	11. Trouble Shooting

Ages: 30-Ash, 30-May, 30-Gary, 33-Luna, 12-Jessica, 6-Arianna  
  
- 11 -  
  
  
  
Ash and May looked at Viridian Lake. He sighed. May looked at him. "Let me guess, pokemon training?" she asked.  
  
He nodded. "My very first day." Ash looked at the calm water. The wind blew and made waves of it.  
  
The bushes shuddered to their left. Ash and May looked over at the spot. Gary stepped out, something hidden behind him. "Hello, Ash. Hello, May," he said.  
  
"What are you doing here?" May asked.  
  
"To do what I've wanted to do for years," Gary said. He drew a gun out.  
  
"What are you going to do?" May asked. Gary smirked.  
  
"Kill Ash," he said softly.  
  
Gary pointed the gun at Ash's chest. "You wouldn't dare," Ash snarled.  
  
"I dare," Gary said. May stood in front of Ash.  
  
"If you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me first," she said. Ash looked at her.  
  
"May, stay out of this!" he said.  
  
"No," she said. Gary looked at her.  
  
"He'll die anyway, you alive or not!" he said. May shrugged.  
  
"So what?" she said. Gary gave her a hard look.  
  
"Fine, see if I care," he said. Gary pulled the trigger of the gun. Ash quickly pushed May down on the ground.  
  
Gary pulled the trigger four times in a row, making Ash get hit five times in the chest. He fell to his knees on the ground.  
  
"ASH!" May yelled. He looked in her direction.  
  
May scrambled over to Ash. He started spitting up blood. She dialed 911 on a cell phone she had and asked for an ambulance. Gary threw the gun as far into the lake as he could to get rid of it.  
  
Gary walked out of the area as they heard noises of the ambulance and a police car. Ash choked from lack of air. He spit more blood out.  
  
She heard someone run through the trees. Whoever it was burst out. A badge shone with the light of the moon. His blue eyes had hardness to them. "What has happened?" he asked.  
  
"We need to get Ash to the hospital now," May said. He looked at her.  
  
"The pokemon master?" he asked.  
  
May groaned. "Not now!" she said. She looked up. A woman was walking towards them.  
  
"Jazzie," May said. She looked at May.  
  
"What did he do this time?" she asked.  
  
"Got shot five times." May said. Jazzie frowned.  
  
"Tim!" Jazzie called, "Get the stretcher here, now!"  
  
Tim pulled it to them. "You ain't walking this time," Jazzie said.  
  
Ash didn't reply to her remark. Tim and Jazzie got him onto the stretcher. He choked again. "I think he might have a punctured lung." Tim said.  
  
May followed Tim and Jazzie to the ambulance. She helped them get the stretcher up into the back of it. "I'm going with," she said.  
  
They looked at her. Jazzie shrugged and got into the front. She turned the sirens on and the engine on. May and Tim got in the back.  
  
Ash shut his eyes, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes. It hurt to even try to breath. May put a hand on his forehead. He shuddered.  
  
The ambulance bounced when it hit a speed bump at the hospital. They  
  
got Ash to the emergency room. A doctor got in there right away. "Hmmm."  
  
"Nurse! Get one of the operating rooms ready!" he called.  
  
"Yes sir!" she squeaked. She hurried out.  
  
"What's happened to him?" May asked.  
  
"You said he got shot five times.three of the bullets somehow got wedged in-between his ribs, one got him in his right lung, and the last one has unloosened it's self and got his other lung. Odd as that may be." he said, "We have to do a operation for even the slightest chance for him to survive."  
  
"Oh," she sighed. The doctor walked by. He opened the doors to the operation room a few minutes later, ready.  
  
"Ok, we need you to drink this," he said. Ash looked at the doctor.  
  
Whatever it was, tasted nasty. He stuck his tongue out like a sickened child.  
  
Ash suddenly felt tired. He shut his eyes slowly, everything going out of view. He fell into a deep sleep.  
  
May looked around the room. She was worried. "He'll be fine, May," Luna said.  
  
"How do you know?" she asked.  
  
"Ash isn't going to die without a fight. He wouldn't just give up. He'd be giving up on you, Jessica, and Arianna if he did that, and he knows it," Luna said.  
  
May couldn't respond to what Luna said. She knew that Luna was right.  
  
The doctor took three of the fives bullets out. He sighed. Now came the hard part. The nurse gave the doctor a few instruments to use. He got to work.  
  
Jazzie came and sat down next to May after a few hours. "They're going to get Ash into the recovery room," she said.  
  
"Is he all right?" May asked.  
  
"We think so. Sadly, he's in a coma. He won't come out of it until a few days," Jazzie said.  
  
"I want him taken to our house in two days," May said.  
  
"Why?" Jazzie asked.  
  
"Ash never liked hospitals, and won't like it, staying in one!" May said.  
  
"We can arrange it." Jazzie said, "I'll go tell the doctor that he saw."  
  
Jazzie walked into the emergency room. It was five minutes by the time she came back. "Ok, he said Ash can stay at the house," she said. May smiled. ************************************************************** Arianna got up from her game, when a knock at the door interrupted. She opened the door, and looked up at a man leaning against the side of the house, smiling. "Who are you?" she asked.  
  
"My name is Dean." he replied, looking at her, "Dean Walker. Is your mother home, by chance?"  
  
"Yeah," Arianna said, "Do you want her?"  
  
"Yes." She nodded.  
  
"Mommy!" Arianna yelled, walking toward the kitchen, "Some weird guy is here to see you!"  
  
Chuckling, Dean waited. Shaking her head, May walked over. "I am so sorry!" she sighed, "Arianna can be so rude sometimes!"  
  
"No need!" he said, "Everyone calls me weird. I take it as a compliment!"  
  
"Oh. Good!" May said, "How are you, Dean? How's your son?"  
  
"Terrific!" Dean laughed, "But, I'm not here for a friendly visit, I'm afraid. Business."  
  
"Ah." May frowned at Dean. "What do you need?"  
  
"Information, of course," he sighed sadly, "being a lousy reporter, ya know. I don't mean to cause any harm-" Dean shrugged apologetically, "- but, I have my son and wife to care for."  
  
"Understood completely," May replied, nodded, "Come in. No need standing around in the doorway."  
  
"Boss man said I should do an article about the incident," Dean said, "You don't mind, do you?"  
  
"With you?" May laughed, "No! With the others, yes. All the twisting of words, and impatience! Go on ahead."  
  
Dean laughed, shaking his blonde head. "Um, how did it happen?" he asked.  
  
"Well," May looked at him, "it's strange. Gary, he's my brother, shot him! And on top of that, he would've done the same to ME, because I got in the way!"  
  
"And?" Dean asked. May frowned, and continued on, Dean giving her a horrified look at her explanation. "Oh my, I can't believe your own brother would do such a thing, to his sister's husband, no less!"  
  
"I don't think I can ever-" May started.  
  
"Mom!" Jessica ran in. "You need to get upstairs!"  
  
"Why?" she asked.  
  
"Dad!" was the response given. May and Dean followed the frantic girl. "Miss Penelope can't stop it!"  
  
"Can't stop what?" Dean asked. Jessica sighed.  
  
"He's choking on something!"  
  
"That woman is about as useful as the grass outside!" May snapped, shoving the door open. A middle-aged woman stood nearby, looking at them timidly. "What is going on?"  
  
"Ah, I-I-" she stuttered. May pushed her out of the way, glaring at her.  
  
"Fill this glass!" she barked, throwing the empty glass at to the nurse. Miss Penelope staggered into the bathroom. May turned to her husband, who was sitting up in bed, doubled over in pain, shaking violently from the choking.  
  
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, May put a hand over his mouth. Trembling, he pushed her away. Falling off the bed, she hit her head. May pulled herself back up.  
  
"That didn't stop it!' Miss Penelope commented, "You don't know what you are doing!"  
  
"Shut up!" May snapped, "I am making more progress then you did!"  
  
May struggled back into her normal posture, head throbbing. "Let's try this again," she said.  
  
She pressed her lips against his, pinning him down. "If you don't calm down," she whispered, "you are going to end up hurting someone, most likely being me."  
  
Ash struggled helplessly, until finally, he gave up. Fumbling around, he grabbed the notepad on the table, and a pen. Scribbling down a note, he shoved it in front of May's face.  
  
Glancing at it, May's eyes went wide. Turning to Jessica, she said, "Jess, get me a bucket from the bathroom, will you?"  
  
Jessica nodded, and ran into the bathroom. She came back out a minute later. After handing it to her father, she back off. Almost immediately, Ash stuck his head into it.  
  
May frowned at him. "Dad, are you alright?" Jessica asked.  
  
Ash shook his head. He looked at May, frowning. "Are you ok now? You aren't going to choke to death?" she asked.  
  
That forced a smile out. "Try getting some rest." May said, "I'll come up later to see how you're doing, because-" she dropped her voice, "- that nurse might as well just be a statue or something, as useful as she is. Can't do her job."  
  
Ash smiled, and laughed. "Miss Penelope, Jessica, Dean, why don't you all just go downstairs? I'll help Ash," she suggested.  
  
Nodding, they left. May handed the glass of water to him. "Thanks May," he whispered, voice husky from lack of talking.  
  
"It's ok," she said, running her hand through his hair, smiling. Ash slid down under the blankets, wincing slightly.  
  
"Yeah..." he said, drifting off.  
  
**************************************************************  
  
Ash curled up to go to sleep at 9 P.M. that Sunday. He looked around the room before shutting his eyes. Jazzie silently slid in to check the I.V. She left.  
  
It was I:00 A.M. when Ash woke up for no reason. He looked around a bit. Fear hit him faster then you could say 'Pichu.' "May? May? Where are you?" he asked softly.  
  
He got no reply. Ash sat up. "MAY!" he yelled.  
  
Jazzie came in to see what was happening. She frowned. "Ash, what is it?" she asked.  
  
Ash looked at her. "Where's May?" he asked.  
  
"Um, I think-," she said. He looked at her in fear.  
  
"MAAAAAAAAAAAY!" he cried, before she could finish. Jazzie frowned again. She heard footsteps in the hallway.  
  
"Ash, what is it?" someone asked. May walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed. She had on shorts and a t-shirt, her hair up in a ponytail.  
  
Ash hugged her around the waist and had his head on her chest, tears streaming down his cheeks silently. May looked at Jazzie in surprise. "Am I the only one that didn't suspect that?" she asked.  
  
"No, I didn't expect him to do that either," Jazzie said. Jessica came to the door. May saw Arianna standing behind her, holding Mew, who made meowing sounds.  
  
"What's happening?" Jessica asked.  
  
"What's the matter with Daddy?" Arianna asked, rubbing her tired eyes.  
  
"Nothing." May said, "Just go back to bed." Jessica nodded and took Arianna back to bed. May looked at Ash.  
  
She frowned. Ash had been jumpy all week. A car had started up outside and it sounded like a gunshot. He had hid under the covers for several minutes in apprehension.  
  
At the moment he seemed so vulnerable and fragile. The littlest thing could make him go into a panic attack. "Ash, what is the matter?" she asked.  
  
"I.don't.want.to.be.by.my.self," he cried. May frowned.  
  
"It isn't that you don't want to be, it's that you're afraid to be," May said.  
  
"No.I'm.not.afraid," Ash said. May frowned again.  
  
"Ash, yes you are. You're just too stubborn to say you are!" May said.  
  
"No.no," he said. Jazzie looked at them.  
  
"Is he going to give you a straight answer?" she asked. May shook her head.  
  
"No." Jazzie frowned.  
  
"The head doctor said that no one is to be in here during the night."  
  
"But, didn't the doctor also say that he should get as much sleep as possible?" May asked. Jazzie nodded. "Well, for one thing, he ain't going to get any without me in here and two," May finished, "Ash isn't going to let go of me."  
  
"Oh. Then why don't you stay in here and we not tell the doctor?"  
  
"Good idea. Let's do just that." May said, "Ash, let go."  
  
"Nah-ah," Ash said. May frowned.  
  
"Oh, I ain't going to leave you," she said. Ash looked at her. His eyes were red and puffy from crying.  
  
"I'll leave," Jazzie said. She walked out the door. May felt Ash go tense when the branches of the trees creaked and groaned in the wind.  
  
"Ash." May said. Even with her, Ash was easy to scare. 


	12. Ronfar J

Ages: 31-Ash, 31-May, 13-Jessica, 7-Arianna  
  
- 12 -  
  
The sound of burning rubber against pavement was heard. Two cars had collided together, making a wreck of sound and fire. A black car had gone careening into the silver one, unexpectedly.  
  
"Out of the way folks..out of the way.." A police officer walked up to the wreck. He pulled the door open on the black car. A young man sat there, shaken,  
  
"I-it was a accident! My brakes didn't work and the gas pedal wouldn't come up for some reason!" he said, shaking.  
  
"Hmmm," the police officer went over to the silver one. Fire roared from the engine, making the silver turn black.  
  
Footsteps were heard from one of the buildings. Everyone, silently, turned around. They gasped.  
  
"It can't be!" a woman said, who was holding a small child's hand.  
  
"It is!"  
  
"Why is the pokemon master here?" More people started coming to that  
  
area. A couple walked up to him, blocking his view of the twisted silver car.  
  
"Please, go back home!" the wife said. They knew him and his family, due to the fact they lived next to each other.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just go Ash!" the husband said.  
  
"I'd prefer to know why I should, before I do John," Ash said. He looked about, the faces of the crowd sad.  
  
"Um, it's that your-" Ash pushed past them before the two of them could start.  
  
His face turned very pale. The twisted silver car sat there, unmoving. "Oh no," he said, "This can't be happening!"  
  
An ambulance's sirens rang from a few feet away. They hopped out and  
  
ran over. The fire had been put out.  
  
"Who hit the car?" he asked. John looked at him.  
  
"I don't know." he said, "Go onto the hospital."  
  
***30 minutes later*** Ash looked at Arianna. She cried softly. "Mommy's hurt!" she said.  
  
"Dad, what's happening?" Jessica asked.  
  
"I don't know," Ash said, looking at her. The doctor came out. Jessica and Arianna sat down on a nearby bench.  
  
"Mr. Ketchum, I have good news," the doc said.  
  
"What?" Ash looked at him.  
  
"Both of them are fine."  
  
"BOTH?!" Ash yelled, "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?!"  
  
The doctor looked at Arianna and Jessica, who looked at him and Ash in confusion.  
  
"Well, you're going to have another kid to take care of in 8½ months," the doc said.  
  
"I wonder why May never told me that." Ash said. He was puzzled.  
  
"She doesn't know. She didn't have a test done, " the doc said.  
  
"So she doesn't have a clue of it," Ash said. He frowned.  
  
"Why don't you go tell her now?" doc asked, "She's been begging to see you."  
  
Ash nodded. Arianna and Jessica followed him and the doctor through the hospital. "Here we are!" he said.  
  
"You need your rest!" a nurse said inside.  
  
"I'm not going to rest until I see my husband!" Ash recognized May's  
  
irritated voice at once. He told Arianna and Jessica to wait out in the hall until he let them in.  
  
Silently, he slipped in. The nurse looked at him. "Shhh!" he whispered.  
  
The nurse looked at the chart. Ash slowly walked over and slipped his hands over her eyes. "Guess who," he said.  
  
"ASH!" she hugged him. "Ash, the car, what happened to it-"  
  
"It was wrecked." Ash said slowly, "I had someone get rid of it, though it might have been able to be repaired."  
  
"But why?" she asked.  
  
"I got a new car before this happened. It's outside."  
  
"Mrs. Ketchum, you need to get some rest!" the nurse said. Ash looked at her.  
  
"Your nagging ain't getting anybody anywhere," he said. The nurse left.  
  
May picked up the chart, which the nurse had left on the end of the bed. Ash took it from her. "Hey! What did you do that for!?"  
  
"I can tell you what it says."  
  
"Then do it if you can."  
  
"The both of you are fine."  
  
"Both?"  
  
"We gonna have a naw little baby."  
  
"You have got to get help, Ash!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"This will be the THIRD time we have a baby!"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"Never mind." May dropped it, knowing he did not know what she was talking about. "Come on! I want to get out of here!"  
  
"Ok, let's go then," Ash said, taking out a new pair of car keys. The old ones dropped out of his pocket, onto the floor. He looked at them. "Too bad that car was demolished."  
  
"You were the one that had it gotten rid of! It could've been fixed!" May said.  
  
"Yes, but there was a BIG chance that it could NOT be fixed." Ash said, "So why waste time on something that wouldn't go anywhere?"  
  
"What's the new car look like?" May asked.  
  
"You'll see." he said.  
  
***three minutes later*** "Red?" May turned and looked at Ash. He nodded.  
  
"You said you wanted a red car, didn't you?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, but."  
  
"But what? I wanted a silver car, and got one. You wanted a red car, and we got it!" he said, laughing.  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"What's wrong?" Ash looked at her.  
  
"Is it big enough?" she asked, "for three children, and us?"  
  
"I think so." Ash looked at the car. "Yeah, it is."  
  
Arianna and Jessica looked at them. Ash sighed. "Let's get you home," he said.  
  
"Ok!" she said. Ash shrugged.  
  
***8½ months later** "We're gonna have a baby brother!" Arianna sang. She danced around the room happily.  
  
"I wonder what his name will be.." Jessica said.  
  
SCHREEEEECH! "Mommy and Daddy are home with our baby brother!" Arianna said.  
  
"Remind me to fix those brakes." Ash opened the door. Arianna ran up  
  
to him, yelling as loud as possible. "Shh!"  
  
"Huh?" she asked.  
  
"Our baby brother must be asleep," Jessica said.  
  
"Ash, you better get them fixed!" May said, "Those brakes are about as bad as you."  
  
"HEY! WHAT'S THAT 'POSE TO MEAN!"  
  
"You got a big mouth, you talk and talk and talk, you never shut up." May said, "I hope this little one won't be like that."  
  
"What's his name?" Arianna asked.  
  
"Ronfar Jonathan," she said. She sat down on the couch, holding the baby. Arianna walked over and looked at the small boy. He had dark brown hair on his small head. His small eyes were an amber color.  
  
"Ronfar?" Arianna asked. Ash got down next to Arianna.  
  
"Yep, and he's going to be in the league," he said, looking at Ronfar.  
  
"And since when have you been psychic, Ash?" May asked.  
  
"I'm going to be, too!" Arianna piped up.  
  
"In 5 years, Ari," Ash said.  
  
"I though you had to be 10 to get a license to be a trainer," May said.  
  
"They made it were you have to be 13 to get a license," he said.  
  
"That means I can be a trainer!" Jessica said. Ash nodded. Ronfar waved his tiny fist in the air.  
  
Knock knock! "Come in," Ash said, not looking up. Delia Ketchum came in.  
  
"How's the baby?" Delia asked.  
  
"Good."  
  
"His name is Ronfar!" Arianna said.  
  
"You and your video games, right Ash?" Delia asked. Ash smiled.  
  
"Yeah. But I hope this Ronfar won't be like that Ronfar!" he said.  
  
"That's the new baby?" asked a female's voice. May's friend Venessa walked in.  
  
"Yes," Ash said.  
  
"I'm gonna be having a boy of my own in a few weeks," she said.  
  
"There there." May had stood up and was pacing back and forth. Ronfar stopped crying.  
  
"He's tired. I'm going to go put him in the crib for a while," she said. May took him upstairs.  
  
"I'm going to go," Delia said, "good luck." Delia and Venessa left, too. 


	13. Baby Steps

Ages: 32-Ash, 32-May, 1-Ronfar, 8-Arianna, 14-Jessica  
  
- 13 -  
  
"May! Why aren't you helping me!" Ash looked up from the floor. May sat on the couch, smiling innocently.  
  
"You said 'I want to teach Ronfar to talk! You taught Jess and Ari!'" she said, "So shut your trap and teach Ronnie to talk!"  
  
"Darn you!" he sighed.  
  
"That's what I like about you," she said. Ash looked at her.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Even if you want to curse, you find some way to keep a civil tongue!" May stood up and left. Ash rolled his eyes, and went back to Ronfar.  
  
"Come on, Ronnie! Say ducky!" Ash said. He glared at May, who had returned. "What are you laughing at?"  
  
"I would love to hear what Lance would say, if he heard that!" she laughed, smiling at him.  
  
"Shut up, you.you.you dog!" he snapped.  
  
"I know what you meant by that!" May sat down on the floor by him. Ash scowled.  
  
"I am being accused! I didn't mean anything by that!" he said.  
  
"Liar," she laughed.  
  
"Du!" Ronfar giggled. Ash and May looked at each other, then at Ronfar. "Du!"  
  
"You almost got it.say ducky!" Ash said. Ronfar looked at him.  
  
"Du.cky!" Ronfar replied, "Ducky!"  
  
"You have it!"  
  
"Ducky! Ducky! Ducky!" Ronfar bounced up and down in glee. "Ducky!" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Dad.?" Arianna walked.  
  
"Come on Ronnie, come on!" Two months later, Ash was trying to teach Ronfar to walk.  
  
"Dada!" Ronfar was trying to stand up, but failing to do so.  
  
"Dad, you said you'd show me how to ride Ponyta." she said. Ash looked up at her.  
  
"Ari, this is really important, we can do that later." He helped Ronfar up. "Come here Ronnie!"  
  
Arianna walked out, and to the back door. She went into the yard, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"'We can do that later,'" she said, "Dad never has time for me!"  
  
"Ash!" May looked down at him. He sighed.  
  
"What?" he asked. Ash looked up.  
  
"I.think you should go talk to Arianna," she said. Ash shook his head, and stood up.  
  
"Alright," he replied, walking out. May got down on the floor with Ronfar.  
  
"'I need to do this.I did to do that.'" Arianna glared at the tree, as if it was the tree's fault.  
  
"What's wrong Ari?"  
  
"Nothing," Arianna said. Ash walked across the yard, over to where Arianna was sitting.  
  
"It doesn't look like it," he said. Arianna looked at him.  
  
"You never play with me!" she cried, "You pay more attention to Ron-"  
  
"Ronfar. Arianna, a small baby needs more attention then an 8-year- old girl, who doesn't seem to be thinking about that."  
  
"You promised me that you would teach me how to ride Ponyta! Then you say that you can do it later!" she said.  
  
"And I will! Arianna, I never got a chance to be with you or Jessica at his age when you were learning this stuff because of how demanding my position as Pokemon Master was at that time! Now that it has gone down a bit, I want to help take care of him!" Ash said. He sighed.  
  
"I just want you to teach me to ride a Ponyta! Not to never take care of Ronfar!" Arianna tried to run off. Ash grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  
  
"Having a fit is not going to help!" he snapped, "Now listen to me, I WILL teach you how to ride your Ponyta, if you will be patient!"  
  
"Alright Dad," Arianna looked at him, "I'll be patient."  
  
"There's my girl!" Ash stood up. "Let's go in the house.er, wait a minute."  
  
"Huh?" Arianna looked up at him. Ash smiled slightly.  
  
"I do have a few minutes to spare." he said, looking around, "How about I show you how to saddle Ponyta?"  
  
"Yeah!" she cheered, getting up. Smiling, she eagerly followed her father to the stable. **************************************************  
  
The end! Finally! It took forever to finish, but I managed it! I would go further, but then it would be, like, 200 chapters, so... 


End file.
